With the launch of The Sims 4 Paranormal upon us, we wanted to create some looks inspired by the new Stuff Pack. Each look contains items from the new Stuff Pack, Base Game and one other pack. There are a number of looks that can be created using the new Create A Sim options and here are just a few ideas!
Vampire Slayer
“Fighting evil by moonlight. Winning love by daylight. Never running from a real fight”
Whether you’re about to investigate Paranormal Activity, explore a haunted house or even befriend a vampire or two this look will let others know that your Sim means business!
Want to know what The Sims 4 Paranormal Stuff Pack has to offer in Create A Sim? Look no further!
In the video above I’ve done a detailed breakdown of all the new clothing, hairstyles and their different variants for each new piece, including new items for all ages. At the end of the video I’ve also revealed a cheat which lets you unlock an exclusive outfit for Masculine Adults. Enjoy!
Just a few days ago we’ve reported on a bunch of new job opportunities that Maxis’ official Careers Page has listed, all giving significant clues that the next Sims Game (which we’ll call The Sims 5) is in development. You can find more details about all of the information we have on those job listings HERE, or find all the news we have on the next Sims Game by visiting our The Sims 5 News Category.
Today we got two new job opportunities that Maxis has posted related to The Sims 5. The first one (Senior CAS Artist) both further confirms that we are indeed talking about a whole new Sims Game and that a brand new Create A Sim is in the works.
In the job listing they’ve further explained what the role and responsibilities for the Senior CAS Artist are – including the creation of initial look of the characters and the clothing that they’ll be wearing, as well as guiding new members of the team to deliver needed work.
Before we dive deeper into the listings please note that none of this will have an impact on The Sims 4 or its current development – there are different teams within Maxis working on both games!
You can find more information in the job listing below:
Maxis is looking for a Senior CAS Artist to help establish the look and pipeline of our characters. If you are a visionary character artist who is adept at stylization, artistic interpretation and a deep experience in character pipelines, bringing the latest trends in technology to bear against your craft, and mentoring others to develop excellent experiences for new and existing IP … come join our team.
The Role
As a Senior Character Artist, you would work closely with the Art Director and Technical Leads to to define visual standards and technical specifications of characters for the project.
You would also actively participate in RnD of the asset creation methods and pipelines designed to add new design-driven features unique for the project.
In addition to creating high quality character models and materials, you would guide junior members of the team and external partners to deliver work that meets the project standards. You proactively seek opportunities to elevate the game, enjoy finding emerging technologies that improve the pipeline, embrace constructive feedback, and thrive in a highly collaborative environment.
Responsibilities
Work with the Art Director and technical partners to define and refine the look and feel of characters for the project.
Work with Technical Art, Engineering and other artists to develop the character creation and integration pipeline.
Research emerging modeling techniques and convey them to the Technical Art team.
Create high quality character models and materials/shaders including in-game and high-resolution assets.
Update style and technical documents for the character art team.
Collaborate with Technical Artists to create and improve tools and workflows.
Actively participate in milestone planning and reviews.
Work within deadlines and display strong time management skills.
Provide mentorship for junior team members.
Review work from external partners and provide feedback.
Maxis has also posted another new job listing for the game – Game Designer.
The responsibility and tasks of this job would be to help design and support the prototypes of new Creative Tools that are currently in development for the game. There are two interesting things that the job requirements have listed, including:
Excited by and participating in new business/distribution models like Subscription services and cross platform games.
Knowledge in popular Sims Community mods and Custom Content would be ideal.
This could mean that the next Sims Game could possibly rely on a subscription-style service, as well as the ability to play the game cross platform. They’ve also listed that it would be good if the future game designer has knowledge in popular mods and custom content – possibly meaning that the game could also have support for Mods / CC.
You can find more technicalities of this opportunity down below:
High Level
Your role will be to support the continued iteration and development of Creative Tools prototypes. This will entail guiding cross-discipline groups toward a common defined vision as well as supporting efforts with design documents and implementation when necessary.
Working closely with XD, UXR and Production partners, you will use feedback and research insights gathered from these prototypes to prepare for our future design documentation tasks for Lotus development. You will report into a Maxis Development Director.
Responsibilities
Drive the delivery of the following:
Helping to develop Vision Documentation and then guiding cross-discipline groups toward the vision.
Creating design documentation to support prototyping efforts as needed.
Partnering with DD to track tasks, identify risk, and clarify changes in work.
Partner with UX to design, research, and implement features.
Aiding leadership in CMR and Gate requirements.
Playtesting, attending UXR sessions and participating in organizing feedback/insights.
Documenting findings for future use in designing Lotus for full development.
Requirements
Significant Creative-Game Genre design experience, especially in the area of creation tools and customization mechanics.
Capability to lead cross-discipline prototyping and idea iteration, actively participating in the development of a feature from start to finish.
A good understanding of how content is built/implemented for creative games. Hands on implementation or modding experience is a plus.
Excited by and participating in new business/distribution models like Subscription services and cross platform games.
Knowledge in popular Sims Community mods and Custom Content would be ideal.
Bonus includes familiarity with game streaming (ex: Twitch, Mixer)
The Sims 4 Paranormal Stuff adds a brand new lot type to the game; Haunted House Residential. This lot type has some similarities with the Tiny House Residential lot type introduced with The Sims 4 Tiny Living Stuff, but comes with a lot more in-depth gameplay! Your Sims will have to put some effort into reaping the benefits of their new haunted abode rather than just being granted bonuses for living on the lot.
Lot Info
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Any Residential lot can be turned into a Haunted House Residential lot in Build/Buy, even if there are Sims already living on the lot. In the lot info panel in the top left of the screen, simply click the lot type drop down list and select Haunted House Residential. Boom! Your house is now officially haunted!
You can see all the new features that come with living in a haunted house in the third tab of the lot info panel, but we’ve also listed them below for you:
Ghostly Assistance: Meet Guidry the Ghost, he’s quite the charmer.
Specters: Floating apparitions roam the lot at night! They can range from friendly to hostile.
Haunted Treasure: Specters have all sorts of strange valuables on them!
Paranormal Activity: Things get weird around here, especially at night… Your Sims will definitely take notice.
Accursed Objects: Occasionally strange artifacts find their way into your house. Keep your eyes peeled!
It’s Alive!: Try keeping the entities of the house on your good side.
Be Brave: Each successful night yields Reward Store Points for all Sims!
Aspiring Investigators Welcome: Become a Paranormal Investigator with the help of Guidry.
????????: SHE’S COMING FOR YOU!
Guidry, Your Friendly Neighbourhood Ghost
If your Sims are living in a haunted house, they’ll meet Guidry on their second night in the home. Otherwise, he can be summoned on any non-haunted lot using a séance table. Guidry is a friendly ghost and in case you were wondering, he won’t go around breaking all of your appliances at night. He has more manners than that. Guidry is quite the charming gentleman.
Guidry is who you’ll want to talk to for help and advice about all things paranormal. He can refresh your energy when you’re too scared to sleep, give you filling otherworldly snacks, and even help you out when you’ve come face-to-face with a certain villainess or when you’ve foolishly sold your soul to a specter. He’s also an encyclopedia of paranormal information and hands out Paranormal Investigator Licenses! And yes, he can be romanced and WooHoo’d, but he can’t become a member of your household. At least not without using cheats.
Guidry has his own social category conveniently called “Guidry,” so you don’t need to go searching through the Friendly social category to find all of his unique NPC interactions. He has lots of funny dialogue you can read in-game, but we’ve also compiled his dialogue here. If you don’t want to have anything spoiled before you play through the pack yourself, feel free to skip the following section!
“Why are you here?”
Well in case it wasn’t immediately apparent, I’m a ghost! And ghosts need to haunt somewhere!
If I can crash here for the time being, I’ll help you out with all the other haunted happenings going around. Little scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. Sound like a deal?
But if you’re sick of ol’ Guidry, you can prevent me from appearing with that weird Hand statue you might have seen. I won’t fuss, no questions asked. I’m one of the good guys remember, I’ll understand if you need some space!
The hand Guidry is talking about here is the Helping Hand decorative statue, which you can find in Build/Buy. Filter for Paranormal Stuff if you’re having trouble finding it. When placed on the lot, you can click it to disable Guidry’s nightly visits and enable Heroic Mode. Heroic Mode makes the lot extra haunted, but also rewards your Sims with more Satisfaction Points for surviving each night there. Once enabled, Heroic Mode cannot be turned off for a while, so make sure you’re ready to deal with some craziness for an extended period of time.
“What’s up with those creepy objects?”
Yeah you’ll want to stay away from those at all costs, those things are SUPER cursed. Just being near them is like nails on a chalkboard for your soul.
Make sure you keep your eyes peeled and get rid of them the second they show up, because they are NOT friendly.
Cursed objects can come in a variety of forms; creepy dolls, hands coming up from the ground, glowing symbols on the floor, slime puddles, and strange vine overgrowth in the yard are some of the cursed objects you can expect to start popping up all over a haunted house. All of these things will deteriorate the spiritual balance of the home, causing more aggressive specters to show up at night. Destroying or cleaning up these objects improves the spiritual balance and helps keeps the specters friendly.
“What’s the deal with Specters?”
Who knows! Maybe they’re the manifestation of the lost dreams and ambitions of mankind? Or maybe I’m reading into things too much.
One thing I do know is that they love presents! If you manage to make them happy they’ll cough over something useful, and put in a good word with the rest of the entities of the house!
While Guidry is telling the truth about specters loving presents, he’s left out an important detail; they only like handcrafted items your Sims have made themselves. They won’t even accept anything else as an offering… except for souls. We noticed a lot of cross-pack integration with this feature. We were able to offer base game crafted items such as food, drinks, and wood carvings, but we were also able to offer knitted objects from Nifty Knitting Stuff and small robots from Discover University! Try a variety of different things your Sim has made.
“What’s a Paranormal Investigator?”
Seekers of the unknown! Used to be one myself a lifetime ago, I’ve always been interested in things that bump in the night!
There’s even an organization out there that recruits properly certified Paranormal Investigators too!
If you can prove your spiritual Medium skills to me, I might just be able to get you certified…
This is Guidry’s way of saying you aren’t qualified enough to be a Paranormal Investigator. Max out your Medium skill to level 5, then use the “I want to become a Paranormal Investigator!” social with him. He’ll give you a Paranormal Investigator License, which will then open up the career for you.
“I want to become a Paranormal Investigator!” (Must have maxed Medium skill for this social to appear)
For adults:
Now look at you! You’re practically brimming with spiritual energy! I knew there was something special about you!
That’s why I’ve got this here Paranormal Investigator’s License with your name on it!
So what do you say, are you ready to take the next step?
For teens and children:
Now look at you! You’re practically brimming with spiritual energy! I knew there was something special about you! That’s why I’ve got this here Paranormal Investigator’s License with your name on it!
Unfortunately I think Child Labor Laws may have changed a bit since I was last alive, so you won’t be able to get hired until you’re older. But until then, enjoy this spiffy badge!
As Guidry explains, only young adult and older Sims can work as Paranormal Investigators. Children and teenagers can get their Paranormal Investigator’s License, but can’t join the career until they become young adults. Children and teens who have a Paranormal Investigator License do have a unique social interaction called “Show off Paranormal Badge,” though! They can impress other Sims by showing them their badge.
“How do I become less scared?”
Being afraid is perfectly natural, it happens to all of us!
But if you’re having a hard time managing your fears, I strongly urge you to get some Sacred Candles. Being near them soothes your soul and wards off all sorts of nasty feelings. Place them throughout the house if you need to, you can never have too many in my opinion!
You can make them from Wraith Wax gifted by Specters, or purchase Sacred Candles directly from the Reward Store!
Sacred Candles are quite handy to have around the house. In fact, it’s best to keep one in every room of a haunted house to ensure your Sims feel safe at night. Make them with Wraith Wax that specters drop or purchase a set of three from the Reward Store for 500 Satisfaction Points. Sacred Candles do burn down after a couple days, so make sure you’re well stocked.
“Can I make this place less… Spooky?”
Of course! The state of a Haunted House degrades over time, so it’s up to you to keep its spookiness in check.
Performing Ceremonies on the Séance Table is a great way to satiate the entities of the house, as well as appeasing any wandering Specters you might find.
If you’re ever in doubt what state the Haunted House is in, try using the Sense Spiritual Volatility Séance.
Performing Ceremonies at the Séance Table is the best way to keep the spiritual balance of the home and make sure the specters that hang around the place are friendly. For Sims who haven’t mastered the Medium skill, ceremonies will rapidly drain their energy. When a Sim’s needs drop too low, the ceremony can get interrupted, which will make the specters angry. Make sure all Sims participating in a ceremony have high motives. Using the Sense Spiritual Volatility interaction on the Séance Table will tell you the current state of the home and whether or not you need to be concerned about malevolent specters.
“Any advice living here?”
Honestly, just embrace it!
Collect Specter loot! Purchase Reward Store items! Stomp some dolls! And if you need to scream your lungs out occasionally, do so!
Adversity is part of being alive, just savor it all!
Apart from going into Build/Buy and changing the lot type back to a regular Residential lot, there is no way to completely un-haunt a haunted house. The point of living in a haunted house is not to get rid of the specters, but to live in a harmonious balance with them and keep them happy in order to receive otherworldly presents and Satisfaction Points to spend in the Reward Store.
“Who are you?”
Claude René Duplantier Guidry, but you can call me Guidry! I’m a bit of an expert in the paranormal, and I’ll never turn down a chance to help someone in need! I’ve been chasing after the unknown all my life, and afterlife.
Let me know if you need any help!
This is simply Guidry’s charming way of saying you can ask him for information and help regarding all of this pack’s new content. Curiously, his name is just Guidry when you scroll over him. His full name seems to exist only in object descriptions and his own dialogue bits.
“Wanna… Have a drink?” (Must be Flirty to use this social)
To be honest everything has been pretty tasteless since my unfortunate demise, but here, try some of this!
It’s called Specter Sip! It seems to be made from… actually don’t think about that too much. Just try it!
Drinking Specter Sip will grant your Sims some new skills! Guidry will hand over Specter Sips fairly regularly, although there does seem to be a cooldown period because if you ask him again immediately after receiving a Specter Sip from him, he just says “Sure, if you’re buyin’!” but does not give you another one.
“Someone terrible appeared! Help!” (Temperance must appear before you can use this social)
First Dialogue:
Yeah she and I go way back, things are… complicated. But she’s definitely bad news.
Here, try placing one of these Idols on the ground. She hates these things, and conveniently enough they hate her too!
If that doesn’t work, use your Medium skills to summon Bonehilda! She’s actually a master in spirit-based mixed martial arts, and will gladly lend a hand.
Second Dialogue:
I don’t have anymore Idols on me right now, those things are hard to come by!
You might be able to snag one from a Specter if you’re lucky though!
Remember if all else fails, use your Medium skills to give Bonehilda a call on the Séance Table!
As Guidry’s second dialogue piece suggests, he’ll only give you one Bizarre Idol the first time you tell him this. They are a rare find in the game and your Sims won’t come across them too frequently, so hang onto that first one he gives you. It’s very useful for stopping Temperance in her tracks. Who’s Temperance? More on her in the next section, Surviving Your First Week in a Haunted House.
“I’m terrified! Help me!” (Must be Terrified to use this social)
First Dialogue:
Whoa! I can see that! You should make sure you’re near a Sacred Candle to calm down!
Here, take this Wraith Wax. You can mold this stuff into Sacred Candles!
And no you don’t need to be one of those Evergreen Harbor hipsters to make these either. Just give it a try!
Second Dialogue:
Sadly I’m out of Wraith Wax, but you can always find them by appeasing Specters too.
If you’re out of Sacred Candles you might just need to hide under the covers for a while until you calm down.
And if you’re really desperate for Sacred Candles, you can always find them in the Reward Store too.
Like he says in his second dialogue, Guidry has limited Wraith Wax, but it’s not too hard to come across in the game. Specters often leave it behind and you can get it as a reward from the Paranormal Investigator career. Click on Wraith Wax in your Sim’s inventory and select Make Sacred Candles. Each piece of Wraith Wax makes three Sacred Candles. Sacred Candles can also be purchased outright from the Reward Store for 500 Satisfaction Points. Each purchase gives you 3 Sacred Candles, so they’re pretty inexpensive.
“I may have sold my Soul.” (You must have sold your soul to a Specter to use this social)
First Dialogue:
You did WHAT? First of all, how? Second, why? Actually I don’t need to know all the details, let’s just leave it at that.
Thankfully I may have just the solution. Try uhh, absorbing one of these. This should replace whatever you stripped out, and maybe numb that stinging feeling of regret.
Just maybe be more conscious of what you do with your soul next time?
Second Dialogue:
YOU DID IT AGAIN? Of all the…
Alright I don’t have a solution this time, you might just need to wait this one out.
Now I’m definitely a “Try anything once,” kinda guy, but please be more considerate of your soul next time? Maybe find another way to appease Specters?
As Guidry’s second dialogue piece suggests, he will only give you one Soul Piece. You can’t get unlimited Soul Pieces from him, so maybe don’t sell your soul too often. Why not? Well, every time you sell your soul, your age bar fills up by a considerable amount, shortening your Sim’s overall lifespan! Absorbing Soul Pieces can restore your age bar, but they aren’t exactly lying around like spare change. Apart from Guidry, they can only be dropped by Specters and given as Paranormal Investigator rewards. Take care with your Soul Pieces… and your soul!
“I can’t get a good night’s sleep!” (You must be tired to use this social)
Okay HOLD STILL-
There! Do you feel more… ENERGIZED? Hah! Of course you do!
Just a little ghost razzle-dazzle, perfectly harmless. Maybe take a shower later though.
Feel free to tell Guidry whenever you’re tired and having a hard time getting any sleep! He’ll restore your energy bar for you anytime you need him to. Having Guidry replenish your energy will almost completely refill the energy bar, too!
“I can’t get a chance to eat!” (You must be hungry to use this social)
No worry! Here, eat this Ectocake! I’m told they taste pretty good!
Managing your mortal needs can sometimes be difficult in a Haunted House. Thankfully eating one of these will keep you satiated for quite a while!
Also do you see that cute little face on it? It’s adorable!
Feel free to let Guidry know whenever you’re hungry and too scared to cook anything for yourself! He has unlimited Ectocakes on him and he’s happy to share!
Surviving Your First Week in a Haunted House
Now that you’ve gotten the rundown of some of the basics of living in a haunted house, can you survive a whole week in one? Don’t be intimidated by that thought! As soon as you load onto a haunted house, the game will start an informal tutorial series that lasts one in-game week. Don’t worry; this tutorial is pretty non-invasive and won’t eat up all of your time. You can pretty much live a normal life and do whatever you want in that first week. You’ll just receive some popups at certain points throughout the week providing you with direction on how to deal with various paranormal happenings in the home.
The First Night
You won’t notice anything strange about your new haunted home during the day, but at 9pm on your first night in the house, you’ll receive a popup message warning you that you’ve somehow ended up inside a haunted home! Spooky! You can respond confidently or not-so-confidently to this unsettling news. It doesn’t really matter which option you pick; it’s mostly just for storytelling and flavour, so just pick whatever option you like the most.
You’ll be on your own tonight, but it shouldn’t be too much of a problem. The house’s spiritual balance starts off in a positive state, so the paranormal activity won’t be too out of control. Any specters you come across will most likely be friendly, but do make sure to get rid of any random creepy objects you find around the house. Those can deteriorate the spiritual balance of the home if left to sit around unchecked.
Try the Sense Spiritual Volatility interaction on the séance table to get a feel for the spiritual condition of the home. It’s also a good way to start learning the Medium skill. You can also try interacting with any specters you find around the house.
If your Sims are feeling a bit creeped out by specters, cursed objects, or flickering lights, you can always purchase some Sacred Candles from the Reward Store! They come in sets of three for 500 Satisfaction Points.
The Second Night
At 9pm on your second night in the haunted house, Guidry makes his grand appearance! We’ve already discussed Guidry at length in this article, but as a small refresher, he’s a good ghost who won’t be a nuisance and he’s here to help you out. He’ll pay you a visit every night from now on in a haunted house, but you can disable his visits with the Helping Hand decorative statue in Build/Buy if his nightly appearances are getting on your nerves. On non-haunted houses, he can be summoned at the séance table.
Depending on how things went the previous night, your house’s spiritual balance might have deteriorated a bit by now, so it’s a good thing Guidry’s here. His presence will make your nights in a haunted house much easier. You can ask him for information on what to do about various paranormal happenings in the home (or just read the previous section of this article if you want to save yourself some clicking in-game). If your Sims become too frightened to satisfy their basic needs, Guidry can also give you filling snacks and help restore your energy when you’re tired.
With Guidry around to help, you shouldn’t have too many issues tackling the specters and cursed objects on your second night. Make use of Sacred Candles, Perform Ceremonies if needed, get rid of cursed objects, and appease some specters. If things go south and your Sims become too frightened to do these things, ask Guidry to help calm you down or help satisfy your needs.
The Third and Fourth Nights
There are no plot-important game prompts on nights three and four, but Guidry will still be around to provide you with assistance should you need any. Continue your nightly work of removing cursed objects and appeasing specters. If things are getting too spooky for your liking, perform a ceremony to help calm things down. Oh, and don’t forget those Sacred Candles!
Since nothing of any particular importance happens during these two nights, it might be a good time to sit down at the Séance Table and work on building your Medium skill if you’re interested in becoming a Paranormal Investigator. Even if you’re not, becoming a master Medium is still helpful for any Sim living in a haunted house. Their interactions with specters succeed a lot more often and they don’t use up nearly as much energy while performing ceremonies.
Having high Medium skill is also going to prove helpful tomorrow night…
The Fifth Night
SHE’S HERE!!!
It looks like the previous two uneventful nights were meant to lull you into a false sense of security because at 9pm on your fifth night, Temperance comes to call. Unlike Guidry, Temperance is a nasty ghost who is not nice at all and the opposite of helpful. She and Guidry have a shaky romantic history and it doesn’t seem like she’s forgotten about it.
Temperance will generally just be a massive pain, doing mean and mischievous interactions, scaring your Sims, and interrupting séances. Just being near Temperance will make Sims Terrified, rendering them unable to do much of anything. They won’t be able to cook, sleep, or counteract any paranormal activity going on in the home while they’re in the Terrified emotional state. Temperance can make life pretty miserable for your poor exhausted, panicked Sims.
Luckily, Guidry knows her best. After Temperance appears on the fifth night, tell Guidry “Someone terrible appeared! Help!” He’ll give you a Bizarre Idol and tell you that Temperance hates them. If you want to get rid of her fast, place one of them down on the ground near her. Placing a Bizarre Idol near Temperance will cause the Idol to start flaming and Temperance will cower in fear. She won’t be able to cause any trouble while she’s incapacitated by the Idol. Eventually, she’ll stop cowering and flee the house.
Bizarre Idols are the quickest and easiest way to get rid of Temperance whenever she shows up, but they’re in short supply. Guidry won’t give you another one and they’re a pretty rare find from specters. You’ll want to hang onto the first one he gives you, just in case you ever need it again. If you ever lose your Bizarre Idol and Temperance pays you a visit again, you can also summon Bonehilda at the Séance Table.
Summoning Bonehilda requires Medium skill level 3, so I hope you were practicing the previous two nights. Bonehilda is a skeleton maid who also happens to be a skilled martial artist against the paranormal. If you call on her while Temperance is on the lot, Bonehilda will beat her up for you. Temperance can make your Sims too terrified to use the Séance Table, though. If you don’t have a Bizarre Idol handy, it’s a good idea to summon Bonehilda before 9pm every night, just as a precaution. She’ll stay the full night and if Temperance comes knocking, Bonehilda will send her packing!
The Sixth Night
You deserve a break after the terror of last night. Nothing particularly note-worthy happens on your sixth night, but if you haven’t been regularly appeasing the specters with ceremonies, cursed object removal, and offerings, the spiritual balance of your house could be pretty out of whack by now. You might encounter the angry red specters and a lot more paranormal shenanigans going on, like sudden thumping sounds and lights flickering on and off. As usual, combat this by putting Sacred Candles in every room of the house, performing ceremonies, cleaning up cursed objects, and giving presents to specters.
If you’ve been doing a good job of keeping the specters happy, you can sit back and relax with a Specter Sip with Guidry. Or maybe summon Bonehilda to help you tidy up the place a little. It’s probably a disaster after Temperance invaded last night.
The Seventh Night
Guidry is so impressed with your perseverance that he wants to give you a reward for spending so many nights in a haunted house! Spending seven nights in a haunted house will unlock Guidry’s own outfit in CAS. If you were jealous of his dapper style, you can look just like him now! Just… try not to think about the fact that he died wearing that outfit. It’s totally not haunted or anything. Probably.
You’ll find the full ensemble unlocked for the whole household in CAS. It comes in three pieces; a hat, a full-body outfit, and a pair of shoes. The hat and shoes are tagged for both frames, but the full-body outfit is tagged for only the masculine frame by default. You can of course switch the tags so your feminine Sims can wear the full outfit, too.
Mortimer Goth wearing the unlocked hat, shoes, and full-body outfit.
Congratulations on surviving your first week in a haunted house! The informal tutorial is finished now, so what’s next? Is your home un-haunted now? Well, not exactly. Your house will always be haunted unless you change the lot type in Build/Buy, but as Guidry advises you, just embrace it. You’ll find that performing ceremonies daily, cleaning up cursed objects, and keeping Sacred Candles around will just become a normal part of everyday life for your Sims, but it’s not so bad! The specters will drop all kinds of neat stuff for your Sims to collect, consume, or sell. You’ll also continue to earn Satisfaction Points every morning at 6am just for surviving another night in the home. Personally, I found myself looking forward to Guidry’s nightly visits. It felt like an old friend coming back to say hi. My Sims became quite close with him.
But if living in a haunted house just isn’t enough of a thrill for your Sims, they should look into getting their Paranormal Investigator License. There’s never a dull moment for a Paranormal Investigator.
We’re just a few short days away until the release of The Sims 4 Paranormal Stuff Pack!
The pack is set to release on January 26th, 2021 on PC as well as Xbox One, PS4 and their next-gen console successors. Just like all of the previous Stuff Packs this one can be purchased on release day for $9.99 and you’ll be able to find it on the official stores such as Origin, Sony, Microsoft and Steam.
Just like with the previous Stuff Packs this one will release at 10AM Pacific Time, 7PM Central European Time and 6PM British Time. Considering that there’s a lot of time zones to cover I’ve included a handy countdown that counts to the moment of the release of The Sims 4 Paranormal Stuff. As soon as the counter turns zero you’ll be able to get the pack from the official stores!
The Sims 4 Paranormal Stuff comes with one new skill. The Medium skill is a minor 5-level skill that can be learned by children and older Sims. Learning this skill is tied to the new Séance Table that comes with this pack. As Sims progress in the skill, they will unlock new interactions on the Séance Table. The Medium skill compliments the new Paranormal Investigator career, but Sims do not need to be a Paranormal Investigator to have access to the full range of this skill’s abilities.
To build the Medium skill, have a Sim interact with the Séance Table.
Medium Skill Levels
Refer to the list below for a breakdown of what your Sims unlock at each level of the Medium skill.
Level 1
Commune with the Departed at the Séance Table
Sense Spiritual Volatility at the Séance Table
Perform Ceremony at the Séance Table
Level 2
Host Group Seances with other Sims at the Séance Table
Commune with the Dead With…
Perform Ceremony With…
Level 3
Invoke the Dead at the Séance Table
Summon Bonehilda at the Séance Table
New floating animation when Sim interacts with the Séance Table
Level 4
Perform the Ghastly Ritual at the Séance Table
Level 5
Can create Séance Circles anywhere in the world
Energy depletes more slowly while Performing Ceremonies
Increased chance of successful interactions with Specters
Eligible to receive a Paranormal Investigator License from Guidry
Note:Children and Teens can receive a Paranormal Investigator License from Guidry, but will not be able to join the career until they become Young Adults. They receive a rather humorous message about child labour laws from Guidry when they get their license from him. Children and Teens with Paranormal Investigator Licenses can show off their badge to other Sims.
The Sims 4 Paranormal Stuff comes with one new gameplay object; the Séance Table. Children and older Sims can use the Séance Table to build the new Medium skill and converse with those beyond the grave. At first, there are only three interactions available on the table, but as Sims level up in the Medium skill, they will unlock new interactions on the Séance Table.
Build/Buy Details
The Séance Table comes in two varieties in the Build/Buy catalogue; just the table by itself, and a set that also comes with matching chairs and a crystal ball. The standalone table costs §333. The full set costs §648. Each catalogue entry has six swatches, pictured below.
Despite the table’s small appearance, it actually takes up a 3×3 tile block, most likely because the floating chair animations for it require some space. The chairs and crystal ball are not attached to the table sets. You can remove them and swap them out with different chairs and décor as you please. The crystal ball does not need to be placed on a Séance Table, but it does glow while the table is being used if it is on a Séance Table.
01 23 21 1 45 29 AM
Séance Table Interactions
The following interactions are available on the Séance Table. Some interactions require a specific Medium skill level to unlock.
Commune with the Departed: Sims will converse with spirits from beyond the grave and receive a message from the beyond. The messages range from positive to negative. Sims can either become scared from this interaction or receive a positive moodlet, depending on the type of message received. Lights may flicker and spooky sound effects may play.
Sense Spiritual Volatility: Gives an information popup informing your Sim of the state of the home’s spiritual activity. It will tell your Sims whether the specters inhabiting the lot are friendly or not, how frequent paranormal events will be on the lot, and how concerned your Sims should be about the specters there causing problems.
Perform Ceremony: If the home’s spiritual volatility is high, Sims can use this interaction to calm the specters and improve the spiritual balance of the home. Depletes Energy at a rapid rate for Sims who have not mastered the Medium skill. This interaction has a chance of failing and making the specters angrier, instead. If the ceremony gets interrupted, the attempt will fail. Specters can interrupt ceremonies. Ceremonies can also be interrupted when the Sims involved in the ceremony become too tired. Make sure your Sims’ motives are high and that they are in a good mood to increase the odds of a successful ceremony.
Group Séance: Requires Medium skill level 2. Sims can host seances with up to three other Sims. The other Sims do not need to have Medium skill level 2 to participate; only the Sim leading the seance needs to have Medium skill level 2. There are several sub-interactions under the Group Seance interaction:
Commune with the Dead With…: Same as the solitary Commune with the Departed interaction, just with more Sims.
Perform Ceremony With…: Same as the solitary Perform Ceremony interaction; however, more Sims increases the chances of a successful ceremony. It is still important to ensure all Sims participating have high motives and are in a good mood. The ceremony can still be interrupted if any of the participants’ motives drop too low.
Invoke the Dead With…: Requires Medium skill level 3. Same as the solitary Invoke the Dead interaction, just with more Sims.
Ghastly Ritual With…: Requires Medium skill level 4. Same as the solitary Ghastly Ritual interaction, just with more Sims.
Invoke the Dead: Requires Medium skill level 3. Spawns either a ghost or specters. If there are no ghosts in your worlds to be summoned, specters will show up, instead. The ghost or specters may or may not be friendly.
Summon Bonehilda: Requires Medium skill level 3. This interaction summons Bonehilda the skeleton maid. Bonehilda is friendly but her presence does have a chance at giving nearby Sims a Tense moodlet. She will cook and clean for your Sims. Bonehilda can be romanced and WooHoo’d with, but cannot be moved into the house as a playable Sim without the use of cheats. Bonehilda can also help you deal with Temperance, an evil ghost who shows up on haunted lots. Bonehilda will stay for about a day before disappearing, but she can be summoned again at any time. You cannot summon Bonehilda while Bonehilda is already on the lot.
Ghastly Ritual: Requires Medium skill level 4. Performing this ritual will turn your Sim into a ghost for 4 hours. While in their ghost form, Sims will have all of a real ghost’s abilities. They can possess objects and scare Sims. Other Sims in the household will receive a “What Happened To You?!” moodlet and become scared if they see your Sim as a ghost.
Summon Guidry: Only available on non-Haunted House Residential lots. This interaction summons Guidry, a friendly ghost with a lot of information on the paranormal. He can help your Sims satisfy their needs when they’re too scared, as well as give you information about haunted houses, specters, being a medium, becoming a Paranormal Investigator, and how to deal with Temperance. On Haunted House Residential lots, Guidry will visit on his own every night, so there is no need to summon him at the Séance Table.
Want to know everything that The Sims 4 Paranormal Stuff Pack has to offered? I’ve covered that and more in the video coverage that you can check out above.
In the video you’ll first find the regular objects catalog, followed by an overview of the new Haunted House Residental Lot and a brand new premade house that you get after installing the pack! At the end of the video there’s also a full rundown of the BuyDebug objects – most which can be obtained through the pack’s gameplay.
In case you missed it, The Sims Team hosted a deep dive livestream for the upcoming stuff pack, The Sims 4 Paranormal Stuff. The stream was hosted by SimGuruRad, SimGuruNinja, SimGuruFrost, and art director Stephen. SimGuruConor was not on the stream but he was credited for having a large role in the creation of the pack, including writing most of the text.
We were taking notes during the stream and we have all the details from the deep dive right here!
CAS
Several new styled looks in CAS.
Lots of heavy, flamboyant patterns but also some muted swatches.
Clothes have a boho bayou feel; gives a sense that the Sims are more are attuned to the spiritual world.
No new clothes for toddlers, but toddlers do get some new hairstyles.
Build/Buy
New prebuilt library house! When loading the game for the first time after installing the pack, the game will prompt you to place this lot somewhere in your worlds. The house was built by Doctor Ashley, an EA Game Changer.
New Lot Type: Haunted House Residential. This is not a lot trait; you can still assign up to 3 lot traits to your haunted houses.
To avoid confusion, the Haunted lot trait has been renamed to Spooky, but still has the same functionality.
Build mode objects were inspired by the New Orleans spiritualist scene. Pieces have a Queen Anne style reminiscent of the New Orleans French Quarter. Everything has an eclectic thrift store/antique vibe. The build items were designed to look like someone had put together bits and pieces of mismatched furniture from various thrift and antique stores.
Small touches of multi-cultural influences from around the world have also been added to support the eclectic style.
LOTS of clutter to go with the eclectic antique vibe.
Gameplay
Haunted Houses don’t seem haunted during the day, but at night, they get spooky.
New Gameplay Object: Séance Table
Multiple Interactions on the Séance Table, including:
Sense Spiritual Volatility – Tells the Sim what kind of specters are haunting the lot and how concerned they should be bout paranormal activity taking place on the lot
Perform Ceremony – This will calm the spirits if the lot is becoming more volatile and being inhabited by not-so-nice specters
Commune with the Departed – Just a fun interaction where Sims can receive messages from the beyond
Séance Table is a standalone object; you can put any dining chair with it and place different decorative pieces on it. The crystal ball is not attached to the table.
Base Game Feature: New Scared emotion with two levels; Scared and Terrified. Many base game and cross pack moodlets have been converted to trigger the Scared emotion.
Scared Sims can scream at other Sims. This can have two outcomes; either the other Sim will calm your Sim down, or the other Sim will become scared themselves.
If sims become too Scared, they’ll be unable to remove cursed objects on the lot or deal with the specters.
New Skill: Medium. The Medium skill is a minor 5 level skill.
Sims will unlock more Séance Table options as they level up in the Medium skill.
Sims with higher Medium skill will float in their chair while using the Séance Table.
Skilled Mediums can create a Séance Circle anywhere; they don’t need the Séance Table placed down. This is useful on Paranormal Investigator career gigs when the Sims you’re visiting don’t have a Séance Table in the home.
Invoke the Dead is an unlockable interaction on the Séance Table through the Medium skill. This will either summon ghosts or specters. If you don’t have ghosts in your worlds to summon, specters will show up instead.
Children can learn the Medium skill and use the Séance Table. Skilled child Mediums will also float in their chairs when using the Séance Table, just like adults do.
Summoning Bonehilda is unlocked at later levels of the Medium skill. Bonehilda is a returning character from previous Sims games. She is a skeleton maid.
Bonehilda is friendly and will clean and cook for you. She will stay for a day or so before disappearing, but she can be summoned again anytime you like.
A lot of audio cues in the pack; spooky sounds and eerie noises happen at night on haunted lots. Lights will occasionally flicker.
Some of the paintings and décor in the pack will change their appearance when paranormal activity is occurring. Unlike the dynamic portraits from Spooky Stuff, these decorations do not phase back and forth on a continuous loop; they are tied to the paranormal activity in the home. They will only change when certain happenings in the home trigger it.
The point of a haunted house is that there is a level of spiritual volatility you’re trying to keep balanced; dealing with the cursed objects, performing ceremonies, and having positive interactions with the specters will help tone things down. When things start becoming really scary, your Sims will be too terrified to deal with anything so it becomes harder and harder to live there if your Sims are not regularly working on keeping the spirits happy
Setting a lot as Haunted House Residential will begin a gradual tutorial where your Sims will receive popups and advice on how to deal with living there as things progress in the house over a period of several days.
On your 1st night in a haunted house, you’ll get a welcoming popup introducing you to the fact that the lot is haunted.
There is a ghost named Guidry who can provide aid to your Sims, but he does not appear on your first night in a haunted house. He will show up on the second night to help guide your Sims.
Guidry is eternally Flirty and an overall friendly ghost. He has his own Guidry social category where you can ask him all kinds of things about living in a haunted house. He will help you out and give you information.
Three types of specters: friendly, mysterious, mischievous.
Mischievous specters can be more playful or aggressive; they can sometimes start fires.
There is a “secret” fourth type of specter who is an “easter egg;” SimGuruRad referred to this specter as a “she.”
New Career: Freelance Paranormal Investigator
There are two ways to become a Paranormal Investigator. You can max out your Medium skill, then tell Guidry you want to become a Paranormal Investigator. He will give you a Paranormal Investigator License, which you can see in the traits section of your Sim’s info panel.
If you want to jump right into the career as you build your skill and figure things out on your own, you can also purchase a Paranormal Investigator License for 3000 Satisfaction Points in the Rewards Store.
Once you have your license, join the Freelance career using a phone or computer, then choose the paranormal branch. There are beginner, adept, and expert level gigs to choose from.
Living in a haunted house teaches you how to deal with the career, so it’s recommended to live in a haunted house for a week or so before joining the career.
When you travel to a Paranormal Investigator gig, your first step is to knock on the front door to be invited into the home.
Once you travel to your gig, you have a progress meter and a time limit. Various actions you take will help fill the progress meter: removing cursed objects and symbols, asking specters to leave, and giving them offerings will all help to exorcise the home. You can also create a Séance Circle on the ground and perform a ceremony if your Sim is a skilled enough Medium.
You can also offer your soul to specters but the Gurus warned this may not be advisable. They hinted that doing this shortens your Sim’s lifespan.
Paranormal Investigator gigs can happen on any residential lot; you’ll get gigs all over the place.
Every night you survive in a haunted house, you gain Satisfaction Points.
There is a villainess in the pack. Her name is Temperance. She is a mean ghost and has a bad history with Guidry. She can show up on haunted house lots after a while, as well as on expert Paranormal Investigator gigs. She will greatly increase the spookiness of the home and try to sabotage your efforts to calm the paranormal activity going on.
Specters will drop neat items, like ectocake and forbidden candy. Don’t be scared of eating the ghost foods they drop. They have positive effects.
You can place Sacred Candles in the house to help protect you from the specters. They’ll help Sims feel less scared so they can handle the specters. They can be purchased in the Rewards Store for 500 Satisfaction Points.
New Reward Trait: Brave. You can purchase this trait for your Sims from the Rewards Store, which lessens how often and how long your Sims are scared. Very helpful for Paranormal Investigator gigs.
There is a hand décor piece you can use to stop Guidry from visiting. You can also enable “Heroic Mode” which will make the lot a LOT more haunted but also reward you with more Satisfaction Points every night you survive in a haunted house. This can be a good way to save up for the Brave Reward Trait. Once you enable that mode, you can’t disable it for a while.
There are reward objects for playing through the new career; harmless versions of the cursed objects as well as various other oddities like soul pieces and jarred specters.
There is a jarred Cowplant that can be named. Jarred specters can also be named.
Reward objects can be sold to oddity collectors which is a good way to make some money back if you get duplicate objects.
Specters on a haunted lot will attack the welcome wagon.
There are some cross-pack easter eggs to discover so depending on what packs you own, you might notice some extra little perks and details. Some examples the Gurus revealed included Spellcasters being able to build the Medium skill faster and pets having negative reactions to cursed objects.
The Sims Team is doing their first official livestream in 2021 today, January 22nd!
The first livestream of this year is all about The Sims 4 Paranormal Stuff Pack! The development team including SimGuruFrost, SimGuruConor, SimGuruRad and SimGuruNinja will be doing a deep dive of the Stuff Pack, showcasing different segments of the pack including Create A Sim, Build Mode and the new Gameplay Features that come with this pack.
The livestream is set to begin January 22nd at 11AM Pacific Time, or 8PM CET / 7PM BT. Considering there are a lot of time zones involved we’ve included a full countdown to the beginning of the livestream down below, right above the official YouTube livestream window.
Make sure you stay tuned on Sims Community as we’ll begin with the rollout of the exclusive coverage on Paranormal Stuff Pack including videos and articles!
With today’s patch for The Sims 4, we see a brand new emotional state introduced to the game which, is available to all players. The new scared emotion has been worked on by SimGuruConor and sees over sixty buffs converted.
Players will now find that instead of finding their Sims becoming tense at selected in-game events, they will now become scared instead. One example is when Sims would become tense during a thunderstorm whereas now they will become scared instead. You may find that they will attempt to either sleep or nap while feeling scared or even hide under the covers while the feeling passes.
In response to a question asked by Twitter user NandoandStitch, SimGuruConor revealed that buffs that contained either “scared” or “phobia” in them had more than likely been converted.
Well besides ghosts, I converted like 60 something basegame and crosspack buffs to the Scared Emotion. If the buff had “scared” or “phobia” in the name, it probably got converted!
Another example of a buff that has been converted is from when a Sim uses the Spooky Candy Bowl from The Sims 4 Spooky Stuff. While most of the time your Sims will laugh off the encounter they will keep the buff for a short time.
There are two different variants of the Scared emotional state.
The first variant will just show that your Sim is scared.
While the second variation will cause your Sims to be terrified.
Our member SnarkyWitch also took a look into the game files to help create a list of many of the converted buffs that will now list under the scared emotion.
Scared of Thunderstorms
Super Spooky
Irrational Danger!
Scared of Monster
Scared of Magic
Scary Decor
They’re Planning Something!
Island Fear
Molten Mania
RIP Tide
Deep Sea Entity
Fin Fear
What Was That?!
Tectonic Terror
Thalassophobia
Claustrophobic
Obsessed Fan
Scarecrow Shock
Climate Change is Real!
Ghostly Meows
A G-g-g-ghost?!
Ghostly Howls
Tremor Terror!
Spooked Out!
Seismophobia
First Order Might
Fear the Dark Side
Did They Just Explode?!
It’s Chasing Me!
Botanophobia
They’re Out To Get Us!
Chased Through Jungle!
Haunted by Visions
Terrified by Vines!
Thoroughly Scared!
Jaguar Scare!
Fanged and Frightened!
Claustrophobic Nightmare
Daymare
Bowl of Frights
Don’t Fear The Reaper
Mind Controlled: Panic
Probe Panic
Hydro… NO!
That Was Too Close..
Startled by Ghost
Scary Toy
While this is not a complete list, it gives you an excellent idea of the buffs that have been converted across The Sims 4 base game and additional content!
The Sims 4’s latest update brought a shiny new feature for those who play The Sims 4 on PC!
As explained in the patch notes:
Simmers with a Razer Chroma enabled setup (Single Zone Chroma RGB Lighting is not supported) can get more immersed in The Sims by extending the experience to your desktop. The Razer Chroma lighting will reflect the moods of your selected Sims*, colors that match the theme of the secret world you are visiting and more. You can disable the dynamic lighting in Game Options > Other if this is something you don’t fancy as well.
There’s now a brand new option in Game Options > Other called Enable Keyboard Dynamic Lighting. This feature will make supported peripherals light up in the color of The Sims 4 and the emotions of the Sims that you are playing!
At the moment the only supported brand of PC Peripherals is Razer – which goes beyond just the “Keyboard” that they’ve mentioned. I’ve got a chance to test out this feature myself on my PC Setup and it works both for my Razer Keyboard and Mouse. I’ve also seen a few reports saying that Razer Headphones also support this new feature!
When in the Main Menu your Razer setup will have a spinning plumbob effect with bright green and white spinning all across your peripherals! Check out the preview below:
You can also see what it looks like in action down below:
As soon as you load up your saved game the peripherals will correspond to the emotion of the Sim you’ve selected. Did you select an Angry Sim from your household? All of the supported peripherals will turn red immediately!
Here’s to hoping that RGB Peripherals from different brands get this cool feature in the near future!
The Sims Team has released a brand new update for The Sims 4 on PC, Mac, Xbox One and PS4!
To download the latest version of The Sims 4, simply open your Origin program and if the game doesn’t update automatically, right click on The Sims 4 and select ”Update”.
In case you have Mods or Custom Content, the game will automatically disable them for you after first launching The Sims 4 after the update. To re-enable all your Mods and Custom Content, select the Settings option in the Menu and select Settings. Under the ”Other” section you’ll find the ”Enable Custom Content and Mods” option. Check it and restart your game in order for it to take effect!
Patch Notes
PC: 1.70.84.1020 / Mac: 1.70.84.1220
Console: Version 1.37
Something paranormal this way comes…
There are a number of new terrifying and spooky creatures waiting to make your acquaintance. Not all of them will try to scare you, and some are just downright cute. Still, your Sims’ lives are about to become a little otherworldly. It’s time to enjoy letting things get a little paranormal.
Boo! Were you Scared? Probably not…
But what you might be interested in hearing is that there is a new emotion that you may see your sims in starting with this patch. There are two levels to this emotion, Scared and Terrified. When you find that your sim is too scared to do things they will be able to try and calm themselves through a few methods… ones that I would obviously know nothing about… *shifty eyes*
There are a few different ways that your sims can try to rid themselves of their fear, things like hiding under the covers or screaming incoherently can put them on the track to being fine once again. A number of buffs from previous packs will now be updated and classified as scared or terrified. It should give a whole new dimension to your sims, it’s like they’re 4d! *hushed whispers* Ohh… that’s not what 4d is? Nevermind.
As a bonus, Simmers with a Razer Chroma enabled setup (Single Zone Chroma RGB Lighting is not supported) can get more immersed in The Sims by extending the experience to your desktop. The Razer Chroma lighting will reflect the moods of your selected Sims*, colors that match the theme of the secret world you are visiting and more. You can disable the dynamic lighting in Game Options > Other if this is something you don’t fancy as well.
*Please note that you will need to be running Windows with Razer Synapse installed and running to make use of the dynamic lighting.
-SimGuruRad and SimGuruRusskii
Now onto the fixes:
Sims 4
Fixed an issue related to game freezing or hanging related to Platforms usage that made the game unrecoverable.
For our Xbox One Simmers, we have fixed an issue in which the audio was distorted after several hours of gameplay.
Empty plates left on the counter will no longer have the “Load Dishwasher” option greyed out. Honestly, this was the universe telling you that you probably shouldn’t use the dishwasher for one plate, but you’re welcome.
This editor and the Localization team fixed a few typos, capitalization issues, tweaked and enhanced (ENHANCE!) some translations across all packs as it is customary in all updates.
Get Famous
Sims can now be opted out of Fame in the Options Menu once again. Don’t care about the bling or the hi-life, ‘cause Simoleons ain’t mean thing if ya ain’t Simming right.
Snowy Escape
Fixed an issue in which Snowy Escape-locked CAS items were showing up when randomizing clothing in Create a Sim. And thus concludes the Window Shopping experience =(
Journey to Batuu
We fixed an issue that made the game crash if you were idle for a while in Batuu. I know I am all for doing all the activities all the time, but taking a breather (or well, staring… I mean admiring Kylo for a while) and having the game crash? I can only take so much at one time, you know?
Tiny Living
Child Sims will no longer levitate or perform the “Warn about Bed Safety” interaction on Murphy Beds. Turns out the Child Sims had joined a levitating class, so things are looking up!
The Media Marathoner will now properly display Power Consumption Ratings. When you waste electricity in the game, you’re wasting electricity in real life!
Simmers who own Seasons will now see the “Egg Hunt” interaction on the Media Marathoner and the Media Marathoner All-on-the-Wall.
Nifty Knitting
Cat owners rejoice! Now balls of Yarn made by pet Cats are able to be kept as owned. Whew! Toys for life! Until the next item of interest appears…
Fixed an issue in which Sims that didn’t have the Kleptomaniac Trait were able to have the “Attempt to Swipe” interaction available on balls of Yarn and Yarn Baskets. Kleptomaniac Sims rejoice on having their interaction for themselves…
Fixed an issue that made the notification for acquiring the Aspiration Lord/Lady of the Knits was not being displayed.
Sims’ feet will no longer sink into the ground if they decide to abruptly end (cancel the interaction) their Rocking on the Rocking Chair. I… Never mind, carry on.
After Sims Teach to Knit, other interactions such as Knit will be able to be performed. This means that after teaching to knit, you can actually knit. That seems like it should happen!
We’ve first reported back in September 2018 that Maxis has finally started working on a new Sims Title (or The Sims 5 as some might call it). The report came from Maxis’ official Career listings that offered job positions for talented Concept Artists who would help create The Sims 5’s first initial look. This is something that’s usually done in the first steps of creating a brand new video game.
Back then Maxis published several job listings including Environment Concept Artist, Character Concept Artist, Gameplay Software Engineer and more which all gave clear ideas that The Sims 5 has started with production. You can read more about those initial listings HERE!
Then, about a year later in 2019 we got more clues that Maxis is shifting the gears for The Sims 5 by making Grant Rodiek who was there for the full development cycle of The Sims 3 and The Sims 4 to a brand new Maxis project. All of our suspicions were fully confirmed afterwards by EA’s CEO Andrew Wilson who confirmed that Maxis is definitely planning a whole new generation of The Sims, with possible aspects of the game having both single player and multiplayer features.
With the brief history of what we know about The Sims 5’s development so far, we’ve got a whole lot of new information today regarding The Sims 5’s development from Maxis’ official Careers Listing website which opened up plenty of new job positions for the next Sims Game. One of the most interesting things that they’ve listed is the fact that the next Sims Game will be prototyped in Unreal Engine – a powerful software used by many game developers which helped bring many games to life. Some of those include Fortnite, Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order, Final Fantasy and many more!
Now let’s clarify something – this doesn’t mean that the final product of the next Sims Game will be completely reliant on Unreal Engine. What this means is that Maxis is looking for folks who can bring the prototypes of The Sims 5 to life using C++, Python and Unreal Engine.
If you’re unsure what a prototype is, think of it as what The Sims 4 looked like in some of the leaked material from the game’s production. The developers were using a different engine to prototype various simulation features such as the graphics, objects, characters and the environment around them. You can check out some of the early prototypes of The Sims 4 HERE! Most of the 3D prototypes shown in the linked article have been created in the Unity software.
So what are the new job listings, who is Maxis looking for and what will the growing team for the next Sims Game be doing in the upcoming period? Check it all out in the listings that Maxis has published below. These are only a few of many that are available on the official Maxis Careers Website, but we’ve pointed out a few that talk about building a whole new coding infrastructure, prototypes, sim behaviors and well – a whole new Sims game considering that careers listing for The Sims 4 are marked as job opportunities for TS4 and not “for The Sims” in each of the offered job opportunity.
Before I sign off this post with the quotes from the Careers Listing note that this won’t impact the development of The Sims 4 at the time being considering that different teams at Maxis are working on different Sims Titles. The careers page also suggested that the new Maxis Austin studio might also be involved in the development of the next Sims Game – who we know is working on an entirely different IP video game (aka a whole new title that is not The Sims).
Software Engineer – Automation
Job Summary
Maxis is looking for a talented engineer that can amplify our ability to rapidly develop our games with the help of automation. This engineer will work with an experienced team that has collectively built almost all Maxis games in the past two decades. You will actively work with engineering, art, design, and quality verification groups to prototype and ship various features that expand the featureset of Sims games. Most of the work is expected to be done in Unreal Engine, both in C++ and blueprints.
As an Automation Engineer for a game at Maxis, you will
Implement quality control tools, test automation and analysis systems for various stages in the creation of a Sims game.
Enable the designers, producers, artists, and other engineers to build a framework that brings designs to life.
Demonstrate excellent technical problem-solving skills under iteratively changing requirements during game development.
Be a critical partner to driving innovation in tools and processes to achieve the highest quality standards. Use appropriate programming and scripting languages to design, develop, and maintain automation test tools; statistical analysis and dashboards; and other tools that help drive quality in our products.
Software Engineer – Gameplay/UI
As a Gameplay Software Engineer on The Sims, your job will be to develop user-facing content for The Sims.
Qualifications:
You will use Python, C++ and ActionScript 3 to implement data-driven gameplay and UI systems.
You will create new Sim behaviors: interaction with the world, other Sims, and objects.
You will build creative aspects of real life within a simulation game (e.g. socialization, careers, weather).
You will work with designers, producers, artists, and other engineers on improving the data-driven framework that brings designs to life.
You will write technical design documents detailing software requirements.
You will build unique content for a game that supports a large demographic of simulation player patterns.
You will write code with performance and memory usage in mind.
Excellent technical problem-solving skills under iteratively changing requirements during development.
Core Engineer – Animation (C++)
High Level
Animation Engineer will work on the animation system subsystem within the game. The work will range from rapid prototyping to production development. Most of the work is expected to be done in Unreal Engine, both in C++ and Blueprints. Some prototypes and features may be done completely in C++.
Core Engineer – UI/UX
High Level
UX Engineer will work on UI and UX within the game. The work will range from rapid prototyping to production development. Most of the work is expected to be done in Unreal Engine, both in C++ and Blueprints. Some prototypes and features may be done with different tools and frameworks.
Senior Software Engineer – Client (C++)
As a Client Senior Software Engineer on The Sims, you will work on the client systems within the game. The work will range from rapid prototyping to production development. Most of the work is expected to be done in C++.
Job Responsibilities:
Architect and implement client features and systems in C++.
Extend existing client systems and create new ones.
Work with designers, producers, content creators and other engineers to design and develop game features.
Write cross-platform code with performance and memory usage in mind.
Debug code to document and fix bugs.
Provide a mentorship to other engineers.
Solve challenging technical problems in a dynamic environment to support active live service.
Client Software Engineer
As a Client Software Engineer on The Sims, you will work on the client systems within the game. The work will range from rapid prototyping to production development. Most of the work is expected to be done in C++.
Job Responsibilities:
Implement client features and systems in C++.
Extend existing client systems and create new ones.
Work with designers, producers, content creators and othe
SimGuruConor has released the second part of a behind the scenes developers blog post for The Sims 4 Paranormal Stuff. Take a look at the blog post in full below.
Welcome back to another dev blog about our latest Stuff Pack! This week let’s talk about the Seance Table, Paranormal Investigator Career, and an interview with our Art Director!
So let’s just get right into it!
Thanks Doctor Ashely for this horrifying scene.
Seances for Everyone!
The Seance Table is here! Talk to ghosts! Scare your friends! Summon the unexpected! This thing is capable of all sorts of spiritual meddling, and functions on any lot!
Your Seance Table can be decorated too! It’s a table surface, so feel free to put a Crystal Ball on top, or maybe a Sacred Candle? Slot any chair you want too!
When you use a Seance Table you’ll develop your Medium Skill, unlocking new Seances, the ability to host Group Seances, and the ability to draw chalk Seance Circles anywhere in the world! And if you’re a Spellcaster Sim, you’ll gain skill much faster due to your familiarity with the mystical arts. This skill and the Seance Table are available for Children and older too!
One of the main purposes of the Seance Table is to perform a ceremony that strengthens the spiritual serenity of the house, making it a little less creepy. However, if the Seance is interrupted for any reason, it might have the adverse effect, so make sure your Sims are protected (Hint: Sacred Candles!).
Seance Circles for the Medium on-the-go.
Other Seances include the ability to commune with the dearly departed. Hopefully, they’ll offer some sagely wisdom, or perhaps they’ll just insult you. Who knows? Great for parties.
Or if you’re really looking to stir up some trouble, you can also invoke spirits from the Seance Table too. Kind of like a ghostly grab bag, just reach in and pull out something deceased. A great way to spice up any lot, or completely ruin it. Honestly, this Seance isn’t entirely recommended, but since when has that stopped anyone?
Bonehilda!
Bonehilda is back! She’ll clean, fix your electronics, garden, fight fires, lay out snacks, and more! Summon her on the Seance Table or Seance Circle whenever or wherever you need her!
She’ll also be your buddy! As long as your Sims don’t mind being around a fully sentient skeleton that is, but I hear they’re pretty open-minded. Bonehilda won’t ask for anything in return either, she’s just here to have a good time.
Summoning Bonehilda is extremely useful while living in a Haunted House, she can help take care of the place while your Sims are preoccupied with other pressing matters. Bonehilda also has a great protective instinct, and will swiftly and enthusiastically show harmful Ghosts the door (with her fists of course).
Paranormal Investigators Wanted
The last feature I’d love to talk about is the Paranormal Investigator Freelance Career. This career is kinda special, and only available for elite Sims with a Paranormal Investigator License. Sims can get the License by becoming a master Medium and becoming certified by Guidry, or by purchasing one in the Reward Store.
A properly certified Paranormal Investigator.
This career is aimed for Sims who have mastered the paranormal and will have to use everything they’ve learned while living in a Haunted House to their advantage.
The gigs for this career are pretty straightforward. You’ll be sent 3 gigs to choose from, either an Easy, Normal, and Hard Investigation. Once you select your preferred difficulty, you’ll be instructed at 9:30 pm to go out on an investigation to an undisclosed location.
Where will the investigation take you? Anywhere! (Well any residence at least!)
Sometimes the Pankcakes will have a bit of a Specter infestation, sometimes Goth manor will need an exorcist. It’s your job as a Paranormal Investigator to go wherever the action is, and snuff out any unwanted spirits.
It ain’t much, but it’s honest work.
You also won’t just be sent to premade Sim houses, but also your own created households! Your other played Sim families might be in need of a spooky exterminator too! And don’t worry, the house won’t be permanently haunted either (You’ll have control over that with the Haunted Lot Type!).
Finishing these gigs on time leads to all sorts of weird and strange rewards. Feel free to hang up your Specter-in-a-Jar as a trophy. Or amass a collection of exorcised dolls! There’s tons of strange stuff to acquire!
Name them too!
Since this is a freelance career, feel free to take these gigs whenever you feel inspired to snuff out some spookiness. These gigs can be demanding on your Sims psyche, but thankfully they pay fairly well.
Art Direction
This pack has a ton of both fictional and real-life inspiration. To go over where these influences come from, and how they manifest in-game, I’ll take it over to our Art Director Stephan Edwards!
Conor: Can you tell us what an Art Director does on The Sims 4?
Stephen: The AD works initially with Production, Design and Marketing to define the visual direction. Once we have moved into production their role is to maintain and inspire that vision by providing direction and feedback to artists, from concept through to the final asset.
Conor: What goes into the creative process when concepting for the Sims?
Stephen: Once the general theme and tone is locked down and approved, the team then refers to the key visuals and goes broad on gathering reference that reflects that direction. We begin on concepting out room views/clothing to investigate different narratives and moods, identifying elements of style, construction, pattern and color. At this stage, we are still working loose to make sure we explore all options and don’t box ourselves in. As the team iterates on designs, we start to narrow down the selections and then turn to final renders. We draw on those early investigations to help inform our palette, material and pattern choices.
Conor: What sort of real-life examples were used for the Paranormal Stuff Pack?
Stephen: Reference gathering is a huge factor in designing assets and so it’s fair to say that all the content is based on real life to some degree. The team tends to deconstruct styles and translate them through a SIMS lens, the simplified and stylised art of SIMS4 has a further impact on the final result.
Conor: If you had to choose, what was your favorite feature to work on across all of the Sims?
Stephen: Aaarg! That’s a really tough question. Because the packs are so diverse each one has its own set of unique challenges. I would say the supernatural aspect of this stuff pack was a lot of fun and allowed the artists to get a little more fantastical and creative. Storytelling is such a fundamental part of the SIMS and that permeates through CAS and BB designs. While curating all the eclectic pieces we stuffed into this pack I was constantly making up little stories in my mind. Where the characters may have found it, what relevance does it have to them and ultimately is there enough depth in the design to spark the same questions in the players. Oh, and Guidry, he’s a composite of eras and characters. I would be really interested whether the players can pick apart the influences.
Thank you!
That about concludes our look at our latest Stuff Pack! Big thank you again to the SP18 team, working with everyone was an amazing experience and made the later part of 2020 a little less awful. Watching this pack come to life was an absolute thrill.
The prepatch including the new Scared Emotion is coming out January 21st, and the Paranormal Stuff Pack comes out January 26th!
